Police Target Ely Drivers

5 October 2010, 08:50 | Updated: 5 October 2010, 08:56

Police officers stopped around 250 drivers in the Ely area yesterday, as part of an operation targeting motorists using illegal fuel.

They were looking for cars running on red diesel, which is only legally allowed to be used in farming and construction machinery.

Because of this, there is a much lower rate of tax on this particular type of fuel than normal petrol.

During the operation on the A142 yesterday afternoon, police found two cars with red diesel in their fuel tanks.

PC Simon Page, from the rural community action team, said: "There have been numerous reports of red diesel and kerosene theft in the county.

Red diesel is used in farm and construction machinery and kerosene is typically used in rural houses for heating.

Our aim is to identify those people who are stealing these fuels or using them in their personal vehicles to avoid paying duty."